The term, “internet connected device” or “internet enabled device”, as used in this specification includes any device on which internet can be accessed. Typical examples of such device are mobile phones, computers, tablets, laptops or internet connected TV or set top box, and the like. As understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art, the internet connected device includes a processor and a memory unit.
The term, “media” or “media content” as used in this specification refers to audio, video, audio and video, text, pictures, frames, and the like visual and/or aural content along with combinations, thereof.
Advertising in a media content being streamed to viewers through internet is a very effective and efficient way of reaching out to public; especially for various product manufacturers and marketers and various service providers. Accessing of advertisements of interest on internet enabled devices while listening and/or watching a media content being streamed is of great convenience and benefit to the users of the devices. Advertisement in a media content, being streamed, is generally accessed on an internet enabled device as described herein.
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of the system for advertising and media content streaming on an internet connected device, according to the prior art.
The internet enabled device 16, and thereby its user thereof, queries a streaming server 12 for media content. The media streaming server 12 fetches media content from a media content database 2. The streaming server responds back to the device with the media content. At a point where an advertisement is to be inserted in the media content (i.e. at a cue point), the internet enabled device 16 queries an advertising server 3 for the advertisement. The advertising server 3 responds back to the device with the advertisement from an advertisement data base 4. On receipt of the advertisement, the internet connected device 16, typically, pauses the playback of the media content and starts playback of the advertisement. Once the advertisement playback is complete, the internet device resumes playback of the media content.
In such a system and method configuration, the internet enabled device is configured to communicate with both the servers, separately. Whenever the service provider introduces a new advertisement fetching logic for running on the internet connected device, it has to release upgrade of the advertisement fetching logic to all the users of the service. In other words, the advertisement fetching logic will have to be configured and upgraded continuously in all the internet enabled devices. In this era of multiple devices and multiple platforms for streaming media content and advertisement, installation of advertisement insert engines for each class of the internet connected devices is very costly, cumbersome, and time consuming.
Further, there is a buffering period or delay when the media content is paused and advertisement is started. Even if the advertisement is pre-fetched along with the media content (before the cue point is actually encountered), the buffering is likely to occur because the internet connected device has to pull out two streams; namely, media content and advertisement; simultaneously and separately. There is also a pause or delay or rebuffering between the completion of the play back of the advertisement and resumption of playback of the media content. Because of the delay and operational inconvenience, the interconnected device is also not user friendly.
Hence, there is a need for an improved system and method in order to provide in-stream advertisement on an internet connected device, which in-stream advertisement is inserted in streaming media content.